Canadian dies from H5N1 avian influenza on return from China

OTTAWA Jan 8 (Reuters) - A Canadian has died from H5N1
avian influenza after returning from a trip to China in what is
the only current confirmed case of its kind in North America,
federal health officials said on Wednesday.

Officials at a briefing in Ottawa said that the case was
isolated and there was minimal risk to the general public. The
H5N1 strain - normally spread through contact with infected
birds - kills about 60 percent of those infected, they added.

The person, who traveled to China in December, died in the
western province of Alberta on Jan. 3. Officials warned
Canadians to avoid coming into contact with birds in China.

The Alberta health ministry said in a statement that in
2013, there were 38 world-wide cases of H5N1 avian influenza
reported to the World Health Organization and 24 deaths.
(Reporting by David Ljunggren, editing by G Crosse)